Doing Business Abroad

Guides for Indian founders and exporters going into overseas markets. Each one covers two way trade, the agreements that change your duty, how to register a company there, visa and tax, and which Indian body will actually help you.

13 listings published so far

Europe Polish zloty (PLN)

Doing Business in Poland

Poland is an EU member state and the bloc's sixth largest economy, and Indian citizens can own 100 per cent of a Polish company with no local director required. Most…

Two way trade: USD 5.80 billion in 2024 (India's exports USD 4.36 bn, imports USD 1.44 bn)
Indian community: About 30,000, including roughly 5,000 Indian students (Embassy of India, Warsaw)

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Asia Vietnamese Dong (VND)

Doing Business in Vietnam

Indian companies must obtain an Investment Registration Certificate from provincial authorities, then apply for an Enterprise Registration Certificate via dangkykinhdoanh.gov.vn. Contribute registered charter capital within 90 days through a Direct…

Two way trade: US$ 15.76 billion in FY 2024-25 on Indian figures, up 6.40 percent, with India's exports at US$ 5.43 billion and imports at US$ 10.33 billion (Embassy of India, Hanoi). Vietnamese data put calendar year 2024 trade at US$ 14.89 billion. The MEA bilateral brief recorded US$ 14.82 billion for April 2023 to March 2024.
Indian community: Around 8,500 Indians live in Vietnam, per the MEA India-Viet Nam bilateral brief. This is the smallest Indian community among the twelve markets covered, so there is no significant diaspora distribution or hiring network to rely on.

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Africa South African Rand (ZAR)

Doing Business in South Africa

Reserve your company name with CIPC via eServices or BizPortal, choose Pty Ltd as the standard structure, file a Memorandum of Incorporation, appoint at least one director (no residency requirement),…

Two way trade: US$ 18.01 billion in FY 2024-25 (India's exports US$ 7.46 billion, imports US$ 10.55 billion), per the MEA brief on India-South Africa relations citing Ministry of Commerce and Industry data. Trade was US$ 19.25 billion in FY 2023-24 and US$ 13.02 billion for April 2025 to January 2026.
Indian community: Around 1.7 million people of Indian origin, about 3 percent of South Africa's total population, per the MEA brief on India-South Africa relations. About 80 percent live in KwaZulu-Natal, around 15 percent in Gauteng and the remaining 5 percent around Cape Town.

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North America Canadian Dollar (CAD)

Doing Business in Canada

Indian businesses in Canada must incorporate federally or provincially, register with the CRA for a Business Number, obtain provincial sales tax registration, register extra-provincially in each operating province, set up…

Two way trade: CAD 13.55 billion in goods in 2025, with India's exports at CAD 9.68 billion and imports at CAD 3.87 billion, plus CAD 19.62 billion in services trade in 2025 with India's services exports at CAD 4.45 billion and imports at CAD 15.17 billion (MEA brief on India-Canada bilateral relations, April 2026).
Indian community: More than 1.8 million Indo-Canadians and an estimated 1 million non-resident Indians, making Canada host to one of the largest Indian diasporas abroad, per the MEA brief on India-Canada bilateral relations, April 2026.

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Asia Japanese Yen (JPY)

Doing Business in Japan

Choose between Kabushiki Kaisha (KK) for credibility or Godo Kaisha (GK) for speed. Deposit at least 30 million yen capital for Business Manager visa. File incorporation documents with the Legal…

Two way trade: US$ 27.48 billion in FY 2025-26 (India's exports US$ 6.04 billion, imports US$ 21.44 billion) and US$ 25.17 billion in FY 2024-25 (exports US$ 6.25 billion, imports US$ 18.92 billion), per the MEA India-Japan Bilateral Brief as on 30 June 2026, citing Ministry of Commerce data.
Indian community: Around 59,000 Indians live in Japan, per the MEA India-Japan Bilateral Brief as on 30 June 2026. The composition has shifted in recent years towards IT professionals and engineers, alongside an established community of Indian jewellery merchants in cities such as Kobe.

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Europe Euro (EUR)

Doing Business in Netherlands

Indian businesses register a private limited company (BV) with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KVK), set share capital from 1 euro, engage a notary for incorporation, obtain tax and VAT…

Two way trade: US$ 27.8 billion in merchandise trade in FY 2024-25, being 2.40 percent of India's total merchandise trade (MEA India-Netherlands Bilateral Brief, May 2026). India exported US$ 22.7 billion, equal to INR 192,118 crore, making the Netherlands India's third largest export destination globally and the largest in Europe.
Indian community: Approximately 300,000 people of Indian origin, the largest Indian origin population in mainland Europe, including around 200,000 members of the Surinamese Hindustani community, per the MEA India-Netherlands Bilateral Brief of May 2026. More than 3,500 Indian students are currently studying there.

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Oceania Australian Dollar (AUD)

Doing Business in Australia

To register an Indian business in Australia, you must appoint at least one director resident in Australia with a Director Identification Number, register the company with ASIC for an Australian…

Two way trade: US$ 24.1 billion in FY 2024-25, with India's exports at US$ 8.5 billion (Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, April 2026). In Australian dollar terms, total two way goods and services trade was AUD 50.21 billion in 2025, down from AUD 53.06 billion in 2024 (High Commission of India, Canberra).
Indian community: Over 976,000 people of Indian origin, about 3 percent of Australia's population, per the Australian Census 2021 as cited by the High Commission of India in Canberra. Around 350,000 hold Indian passports. India is the second largest migrant group after England.

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Europe Euro (EUR)

Doing Business in Germany

To start a business in Germany, choose your legal form (GmbH, UG, or branch), check name availability with the Chamber of Commerce, notarize Articles of Association and shareholder list, open…

Two way trade: US$ 34.58 billion in goods in FY 2024-25, an all-time high (Embassy of India, Berlin, as on 15 July 2025): India's exports US$ 15.73 billion and imports US$ 18.85 billion. Services trade added US$ 16.65 billion in FY 2024-25, with India's services exports at US$ 10.13 billion. German federal statistics office data cited by MEA put calendar year 2023 goods trade at US$ 33.33 billion.
Indian community: Around 2.75 lakh (about 275,000) Indian passport holders and persons of Indian origin as of December 2024, including more than 50,000 students, per the Embassy of India in Berlin. The MEA brief of October 2024 gave 2.46 lakh as at December 2023, of which about 1.93 lakh were NRIs and 52,864 were PIOs.

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Middle East Saudi Riyal (SAR)

Doing Business in Saudi Arabia

Indian businesses must register with the Ministry of Investment (MISA), obtain commercial registration from the Ministry of Commerce, register with ZATCA for tax and VAT, comply with Saudization (Nitaqat) quotas,…

Two way trade: US$ 41.88 billion in FY 2024-25 (MEA India-Saudi Arabia Bilateral Brief, 31 May 2026). India's exports were US$ 11.76 billion and imports US$ 30.12 billion. The earlier MEA brief recorded US$ 42.98 billion for FY 2023-24.
Indian community: Approximately 2.74 million Indians, per the MEA India-Saudi Arabia Bilateral Brief dated 31 May 2026.

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Asia Singapore Dollar (SGD)

Doing Business in Singapore

Reserve your company name on ACRA's BizFile portal, appoint at least one Singapore-resident director, set share capital (minimum SGD 1), incorporate through BizFile within one day, appoint a company secretary…

Two way trade: US$ 34.3 billion in FY 2024-25 (MEA India-Singapore Bilateral Brief, September 2025). India's imports from Singapore were US$ 21.29 billion and exports to Singapore US$ 12.98 billion, giving India a trade deficit of US$ 8.31 billion. Trade was US$ 6.7 billion in FY 2004-05 before CECA.
Indian community: People of Indian origin form 9 percent of Singapore's 4.04 million resident population per the Singapore Census of Population 2020, as cited in the MEA India-Singapore Bilateral Brief of September 2025. The MEA brief does not give a separate figure including the non-resident Indian workforce.

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Europe Pound Sterling (GBP)

Doing Business in United Kingdom

Indian businesses can set up a UK private limited company in under 24 hours for about 50 pounds with no minimum capital. Complete identity verification for directors, register with Companies…

Two way trade: Around 43 billion pounds in goods and services in calendar year 2024, made up of about 18 billion pounds of goods and about 25 billion pounds of services (MEA India-UK Bilateral Brief, July 2025). India's exports were about 26 billion pounds and imports about 17 billion pounds.
Indian community: 1.864 million people of Indian origin per the UK Census 2021, about 2.6 percent of the UK population, of whom 369,000 hold Indian passports, as cited in the MEA India-UK Bilateral Brief of July 2025.

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North America United States Dollar (USD)

Doing Business in United States

Indian businesses register online in Delaware or Texas as an LLC or C-Corporation, file Articles of Organization with the state, obtain an EIN from the IRS, appoint a registered agent,…

Two way trade: US$ 210.18 billion in goods and services in calendar year 2024 (US Census data cited in the MEA India-US Bilateral Brief, as on 16 February 2026). Goods trade was US$ 129.17 billion and services trade US$ 81.01 billion. US imports from India were US$ 128.17 billion and US exports to India US$ 82.02 billion.
Indian community: About 5.4 million Indian Americans and persons of Indian origin, including around 2.07 million non-resident Indians, per MEA data in the India-US Bilateral Brief as on 16 February 2026. Persons of Indian origin are the third largest Asian ethnic group in the US.

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